DIRECTOR'S CLUB

Get exclusive access to the archives of every show

US$2,99/month or US$19,99/year

First Time Go

Benjamin Duchek
  • 0.0 (0)
  • FILM INTERVIEWS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

A weekly podcast highlighting the creators of independent film and the business behind it. Hosted by Ben Duchek.

  1. Jessica Kivnik & Alexa Coblentz -- The Cinecamp Episode!

    10 HR AGO

    Jessica Kivnik & Alexa Coblentz -- The Cinecamp Episode!

    During this episode, you'll hear a part that's normally edited out -- a phone ringing. But given that's one of my guests' school calling, I decided to leave it in. Because that's the life of a parent, right? It doesn't stop for a podcast recording, a film premiere, whatever you have going on in life. And the point of this episode, with Cinecamp founders Jessica Kivnik and Alexa Coblentz, is that's okay. We'll make it work. I love the way they put this description, so I'll use it here -- Cinecamp is a pop-up daycare center during the Los Angeles Festival of Movies April 10-12th. They have an open house on the 10th that I hope you'll check out. And if you don't have kids, I hope you stick around for this conversation as well. This isn't about excluding anyone; just the opposite. Cinecamp is about everyone feeling a part of the story. In this episode, we talk about: why Cinecamp matters in the film sector, even if you don't have kids, and how Jessica and Alexa got started;the genesis of Cinecamp and how it got started;why 4m to 12 years old? why start at the Los Angeles Festival of Movies? the smart decisions that went into Cinecamp's first film festival;why starting at film festivals and "being at that hub" is so important;whether the rise of female filmmakers has led to programs like Cinecamp;what's next for the program? Alexa's Indie Film Highlight: HARVEST (2024) dir. by Athina Rachel Tsangari Memorable Quotes: "I have just always been interested in the way that humans relate to each other, through these kinds of stories or so many possibilities." "Inclusion matters. Equity matters. Choosing to be a parent in this world is political." On starting Cinecamp: "The more we would talk about it, [we saw] how much possibility there was there. As collaborators and like partners in it, we were waiting for a chance to do that again, but also because we both really need this. So it spoke to us really personally." "We are not just providing accessible low cost care. We're providing excellent care at a low rate."  "There's a lot of conversations in the parenting circle about how being a modern mom is like a full-time job." "Everybody that's interacting with the kids is gonna be vetted and background checked and safe." "Across the board, women have lost ground in the past year in terms of equity." "It's basically building like a pop-up daycare center for children of all different ages." Links: Cinecamp's Website Follow Cinecamp On Instagram

    56 min
  2. Eric Jackowitz

    3 DAYS AGO

    Eric Jackowitz

    A short film has never met its moment like THE SEEING EYE DOG WHO SAW TOO MUCH (2026), which premiered at South by Southwest (SXSW) film festival this month. Of course it won the audience award -- how could it not? The film, as filmmaker Eric Jackowitz explains, is a homage to Italian giallo films, a mix of mystery horror and thriller films that peaked in the 1970s. Eric's career, as a filmmaker and musician based in Los Angeles, led him to this moment. He plays drums, attended the Berklee College of Music, and I'll say it: he's a brilliant director. The audience at SXSW agrees. And I think you will, too, after hearing our discussion. In this episode, Eric and I discuss: the first time reaction and sensory overload of seeing his award-winning film;why the film was so perfect for SXSW's Midnight Madness competition;what is giallo films and why he was drawn to making one of his own;how he got started in filmmaking and if he has any preferences in terms of writing, directing, and scoring films;what indie filmmakers don't understand about comedy and music in their films;his thoughts on the podcast space for filmmakers;hidden genres of indie films;what's next for him and his advice for people who didn't make SXSW with their films (with a crazy Judd Apatow story!); Eric's Indie Film Highlights: GRIND (2026) dir. by Brea Grant; Chelsea Stardust; Ed Dougherty; I LOVE BOOSTERS (2026) dir. by Boots Riley Memorable Quotes: "It's very mixed, but it ranges on a scale, right? There's people that really get it, who understand giallo films, who are horror fans, who are comedy fans. And then on the other end of it, there are people who are like, wow, I really like that. I don't really know what you were referencing." On giallo films: "And they're so bad. It's good. So good, it's good and so great, it's good." "And I feel like in a short block you have to, and with the goal of making a feature, you have to make as big of a announcement as possible." "Music is an afterthought." "I'm very happy to announce that I actually just quit my job podcasting." Links: Follow Eric On Instagram Follow THE SEEING EYE DOG WHO SAW TOO MUCH On Instagram

    30 min
  3. Indie Film Highlight: CAPTAIN FANTASTIC (2016)

    5 DAYS AGO

    Indie Film Highlight: CAPTAIN FANTASTIC (2016)

    Watch This Episode On YouTube Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: CAPTAIN FANTASTIC (2016) Director: Matt Ross Screenplay: Matt Ross Stars: Viggo Mortensen; Samantha Isler; George MacKay SYNOPSIS Ben Cash (Viggo Mortensen), his wife Leslie and their six children live deep in the wilderness of Washington state. Isolated from society, Ben and Leslie devote their existence to raising their kids -- educating them to think critically, training them to be physically fit and athletic, guiding them in the wild without technology and demonstrating the beauty of co-existing with nature. When Leslie dies suddenly, Ben must take his sheltered offspring into the outside world for the first time. Subscribe to our YouTube channel Follow us on Letterboxd Follow us on Instagram Follow us on X Follow us on Facebook Follow us on TikTok Follow us on LinkedIn

    2 min
  4. Special Slamdance Coverage: Victoria Blade

    6 DAYS AGO

    Special Slamdance Coverage: Victoria Blade

    Watch This Episode On YouTube She'll tell you acting is her calling, but then you listen to Victoria Blade sing and watch her direct -- her most recent film, VICKY WAKES UP (2026) won the episodes grand jury prize at the 2026 Slamdance Film Festival -- and I'm with you in thinking maybe three things are her calling. Filmmaker Victoria Blade is here to talk about her path to winning filmmaking prizes, and it starts with thinking she's going to be a dramatic actor and realizing she's can play comedy just as well. and then just rolling with the opportunities given to her. I get it: acting is her first love. But this blend of comedy and drama about things we don't see very often, means I'm dying to see Victoria in the director's chair again as soon as possible. In this episode, Victoria and I talk about: why VICKY WAKES UP won at Slamdance;how she got started in filmmaking;finding her home in comedies;why more classically trained actors don't make the leap to directing?whether it was hard for people to see her as a director, given her success in acting and singing;what she brought to the casting process for VICKY WAKES UP and if her reputation helped attract great actors;if she has a preference of writing, acting, or directing;whether there's other episodes ready to go for VICKY WAKES UP;how she incorporated surrealism into the show;do indie films do enough with music?cubicles -- why both her films showcase office environments;directing herself in her films and what she'd tell directors who want to act;how she feels about influencers getting into acting;what's next for her and how she chooses who to work with. Victoria's Indie Film Highlights: DANNY IS MY BOYFRIEND (2025) dir. by Lucy Sandler and Mechi Lakatos; SCRATCH (2023) dir. by Michael Trainotti Memorable Quotes: "What stood out to them was the deeper themes of sexism in the workplace; of the need to pursue our deeper dreams; and the positive vibe that music can bring when even when we're in really dark times." "So I came out of acting school just thinking I was gonna be a dramatic actor because that's what I taught, but what I learned really quickly is that it was easy for me to bring levity into the room." "Even when you do have a successful acting career, you have a lot of free time." "I learned that really as a director, you're sitting in such a privileged seat because there's so much talent and only one person gets the job." "Whenever you see filmmakers who are going to festivals and they're hiring a casting director and they're really putting their all behind a project, that's attractive to me." "It is if Pam Beasley from "The Office" slowly became a pop star." "I don't see a lot of films that talk about music in a very practical way, like in a relatable way." "It's not like the drudgery and the commitment and the discomfort that it actually takes to change your life." "The acting becomes instinctual." "Yeah, I think in the current landscape of the industry with things just constantly changing and evolving and no one really, honestly, knowing what the hell is going on, it's very silly to try to gatekeep anything because this is this is like a free for all. If you wanna go, do it." Links: Follow Victoria On Instagram Victoria's Website

    27 min
  5. RE-RELEASE: David Borenstein & The Best Documentary Oscar MR. NOBODY AGAINST PUTIN (2025)

    17 MAR

    RE-RELEASE: David Borenstein & The Best Documentary Oscar MR. NOBODY AGAINST PUTIN (2025)

    Watch This Episode On YouTube RE-RELEASE: I'm re-releasing this episode, in part to congratulate the team behind MR. NOBODY AGAINST PUTIN (2025), who won the Best Documentary Feature at the Oscars, and also give further background to director David Borenstein's comments at the event. After you listen to this episode and hear about his background, his words come from experience. Congratulations, team. So well deserved. From December, 2025: Surely he didn't know it then, but his work in media in China made my guest, filmmaker David Borenstein, the perfect person to direct MR NOBODY AGAINST PUTIN (2025). It's a fantastic film following a Russian teacher "secretly documenting his school becoming a war recruitment center during the Ukraine invasion." What David and especially his co-director, Pasha Talankin did was make a film at great personal risk because it's so cutting towards the Russian authoritarian regime. And astonishingly, as David shares in the podcast, he wants to do more of these stories in repressed societies. Thank God there are people like David and Pasha. Denmark's nominee for best international film at the 2026 Oscars is an absolute gem. In this episode, David and I discuss: the simplicity of the documentary and whether the overwhelmingly positive reaction surprised him;how he got started in filmmaking and his familiarity with heavily propagandistic societies;the difference between journalism and documentary filmmaking (he has an incredible answer here);the debates with his co-director about the concept of propaganda;how cool it would be to see a documentary or podcast on the making of MR NOBODY;logistically, how did the film happen?;how his co-director became knowledgeable behind the camera;advice for anybody interested in doing a project like this, especially when you aren't in the same place as your co-director!;how he edited the project and who got the line credit for it;how we can better support filmmakers in places like China and Russia;when the film will be available for streaming and the challenges of finding distribution in the United States;the clash between US and Europe distributors for documentary films;what's next for him. David's Indie Filmmaker Highlight: Nathan Fielder Memorable Quotes: "The co-director, he actually responded to a casting call in the beginning. So in the beginning, we were filming him as a character." "The very first time that I was involved with cameras of any sort was actually as a Chinese speaking host on Chinese TV." "if you are a quite fluent foreign speaker of Chinese living in China, they'll find you after a while. You are a curiosity to Chinese audiences." "[John Grierson] defined documentary in a very special way. He didn't define it as journalism per se. He actually called it the propaganda of democracy." "There were so many points where I thought about quitting or walking away 'cause it was so hard. But don't give up."  "The way I work with editors is I make a rough cut myself and then I deliver it to editors to work for a little bit of time to challenge me."  "I think it's really important as director to be generous." "[The film] is resonating with people in Russia and not necessarily people who are already part of the Russian opposition." "I'm still really interested in getting into the big kind of countries that we don't understand enough, Russia and China." Links: Follow David On Instagram Follow MR NOBODY AGAINST PUTIN

    28 min
  6. Indie Film Highlight: HARD EIGHT (1996)

    15 MAR

    Indie Film Highlight: HARD EIGHT (1996)

    Watch This Episode On YouTube Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: HARD EIGHT (1996) Director: Paul Thomas Anderson Screenplay: Paul Thomas Anderson Stars: Philip Baker Hall; John C. Reilly; Samuel L. Jackson; Gwyneth Paltrow SYNOPSIS Veteran gambler Sydney befriends a young man named John, transforming into a Las Vegas casino champion. John falls for a prostitute, and the couple soon finds themselves in need of Sydney's help. Subscribe to our YouTube channel Follow us on Letterboxd Follow us on Instagram Follow us on X Follow us on Facebook Follow us on TikTok Follow us on LinkedIn

    1 min
  7. Special Slamdance Coverage: Mark Elijah Rosenberg

    13 MAR

    Special Slamdance Coverage: Mark Elijah Rosenberg

    If there's something that Mark Elijah Rosenberg hasn't done in film, I don't know what it is. Started Rooftop Films, which presents art and films around New York. Made a studio feature. Made deeply personal short films like ____ IN PARIS (2026), which he premiered at Slamdance this year. Made interactive art. Taught film. With a background like that, I knew the insight he would bring is incredible, and he doesn't disappoint here. The best part is you can tell Mark has thought about all these bigger issues in filmmaking, too, and I'm so thrilled he's here to share his perspective. Mark and I discuss: why Slamdance for the premiere of ___ IN PARIS (2026);how he got started in filmmaking and if he knew when he started Rooftop Films if he wanted to work on his own projects;what Rooftop Films has taught him about the theatrical experience;the process of creating his first studio feature, APPROACHING THE UNKNOWN (2016), and how it wound up so different than his vision;how the experience of making the film might be different today;what advice he gives his students and labs today from all of his studio and independent filmmaking experiences;why big, heavy philosophical topics are important to him;what should people expect to watch ___ IN PARIS and why does he make so many personal stories;how the next generation of filmmakers will approach these deeper questions;what his next projects are. Mark's Indie Film Highlights: AMERICAN GIGOLO (1980) dir. by Paul Schrader; Ja'Tovia Gary Memorable Quotes: "The people at Slamdance care about their filmmakers and the filmmaker experience and supporting them as much as any festival I've ever seen in the world."  "We don't screen in theaters, we screen in neighborhoods." "With some slight variation for special screenings and regions, most movie tickets all across America cost the exact same." "There should be a move towards more truly nonprofit filmmaking where films are supported in the arts the same way other art forms are." "And the NASA administrator said it doesn't help national defense, except in that it makes America a country worth defending." Making his first feature: "It was a wonderful and difficult and amazing experience." "This gets back to also the sort of capitalism of filmmaking. If I hadn't made those compromises, the people with the money would've pulled out." "Don't submit to most festivals unless you think you're gonna be able to go." "For my students, for any artist, for myself, you have to find that thing that you care about, that you wanna say in the world, but then you also have to find the structure to put it in." "So the next one is actually about the the physical force of gravity but gravity, both as a force of physics in the world, in the universe, but also as a sort of metaphor for our lives." Links: Follow Mark On Instagram

    50 min
  8. Special Slamdance Coverage: Sylvia Ray

    10 MAR

    Special Slamdance Coverage: Sylvia Ray

    My conversation with filmmaker Sylvia Ray was eye-opening for me in so many ways. Let's start from the top: SEAWEED SNACKS (2026) is phenomenal filmmaking that is slightly dark, extremely funny, and captures a social dynamic that we too often don't see on screen: dads at a birthday party. Sylvia directed it, and the film was a product of Film Independent's Project Involve, where the SEAWEED SNACKS team was the only one with three out of 31 people with kids. I'm seeing this from the vantage of someone who is chronically online, but the kids/no kids debate is frustrating to me. Both sides often talk about how you're living life wrong if you're on one side of it or the other. I don't feel we should look at it in such a binary way, and the show is a friendly place to talk about ways in which independent filmmaking can make living your best life easier. In this case, as Sylvia shares, it was having kids that turned her into the dynamic filmmaker she is. SEAWEED SNACKS and her films don't exist without them and I feel so very lucky they do. Sylvia and I talk about: her incredible output of five films in close to five years and whether she still has that same feeling of excitement when they come out;directing material that you didn't write;how she got started in filmmaking and how having kids focused her vision on what she wanted to do -- directing;finding your community, whether it's at film school or elsewhere;how she won over friends and colleagues at top film schools;what is the Film Independent Project Involve experience like?;what makes a great lab and what doesn't work regarding labs and fellowship;how she wants people to feel watching SEAWEED SNACKS and whether it's harder to find laughs than in a drama;surrealism in the film and why it makes films so much better when used appropriately;what makes a great short film and the distribution system for shorts;whether she sees the growth from her previous films;what the climate in Los Angeles is right now for shooting films;childcare on set and the state of parenting and filmmaking;what's next for her. Sylvia's Indie Film Highlight: BETTER LIFE (2025) dir. by Jessica Liu; THE INHERITANCE dir. by Destinee Stewart Memorable Quotes: "The excitement is definitely still there. It just feels like a shared responsibility or a shared vulnerability." "it never occurred to me that's something that I would pursue is arts or performance arts until I had my first kid actually." "There was something really empowering about having him and my second child...it rewired my brain in a lot of different ways and made me think of how capable I am." "The biggest life saving part of being in this career is finding my community."  "What can I do in order to get to set and work and do what I love? I look at it a little bit like a sport." On Project Involve: "I knew their intention and they made this very clear in the beginning was that they wanted us to create community and build collaborations that would go on into the future." "And particularly parents who are artists, I hope that it feels like that they're being seen in some way." "When I was pitching on it, I lost my home in the fires and I think I was just really in a what is life? What is money? And then just going through all of these life can just feel surreal at times." "Consuming a lot of shorts allowed me to feel confident that this was gonna work and play well on festivals." Links: Follow Sylvia On Instagram Follow SEAWEED SNACKS On Instagram

    39 min
See All (119)

About

A weekly podcast highlighting the creators of independent film and the business behind it. Hosted by Ben Duchek.

Information

  • Creator
    Benjamin Duchek
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    119
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Benjamin Duchek 2023
  • Show Website
    First Time Go
  • Provider
    Benjamin Duchek